Action demands a reaction. This is one of the basic laws of the universe. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Many times we forget this. We are going about our business or doing our work and we are not seeing any results. Instead of pressing on, we get discouraged and quit.
While it would be acceptable when we see no results to step back, examine what we are doing, and try to make better, more efficient action. However, most people quit the second they do not have the results they want. And many times they do so right after they give a feeble effort for those results.
Every action we take should be in the direction of our goals. If it is not an efficient action, we can change our direction or push somewhere different. But we should not become discouraged when we see no results.
Sometimes a man hammers a stone 100 times before it splits. And as various authors have noted before, it was not the 100th strike that cracked the stone, but the cumulative effects of continuous effort across each of those individual swings. That is what we are doing in our lives.
We are swinging at a stone, pounding it, attempting to create some results in our lives. And we will not always see results, and we need to learn to have patience with that fact.
We should also be sure we are taking the most efficient action possible. Many people try to open the door of opportunity by pushing right next to the hinges. You will not have the best leverage if you try to open a door at the hinges. You need to maximize the force and leverage by pushing farther away from the door.
Everyone understands that. It is a principle of physics that we deal with every day. Yet so many people, in their working lives, push as hard as they can at the hinges instead of pushing with a sustainable force at the doorknob.
If you want the best results, you have to apply hard force along with efficient leverage. This is how we start to make progress in our lives. But we also have to take action.
Instead of making excuses for why we are not where we want to be, we have to be willing to look in the mirror and fix the problems that we are seeing. If we are not content with our lives, we have all the power in the world to change them. And if we work as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23), we will no doubt be successful.
Every action creates a reaction. We have to make sure our actions are strong. When our actions are in line with our goals, compounded by efficient force, we make progress. When we make progress, we have happiness. To get the best reactions, we need the best actions. Take the best actions today.
